Porous roller film transport and processing system

ABSTRACT

A FILM TRANSPORT AND PROCESSING SYSTEM WHICH INCLUDES A TANK CONTAINING A FILM DEVELOPING FLUID, A FLIM FIXING SOLUTION OR WATER AND A HOUSING OVERLYING THE TANK IN COMMUNICATION THEREWITH, A SERIES OF VERTICALLY SPACED PAIRS OF FILM RECEIVING ROLLER ASSEMBLIES WITHIN THE HOUSING FOR PASSING A FILM THROUGH THE HOUSING FOR APPLICATION THERETO OF THE PROCESSING FLUID, TOGETHER WITH A PUMP AND MANIFOLD FOR CONTINUOUSLY CIRCULATING THE TANK FLUID TO THE ROLLER ASSEMBLIES, THE ROLLER ASSEMBLIES INCLUDING AN INNER PERFORATED SUPPORT TUBE MOUNTED ON THE HOUSING, A PERFORATED POWER ROTATED OUTER TUBE JOURNALLED UPON THE INNER TUVBE, AND A RESILIENT POROUS PLASTIC FILM ENGAGING ROLLER MOUNTED UPON THE OUTER TUBE.

POROUS ROLLER FILM TRANSPORT AND PROCESSING SYSTEM Filed March 25, 1969Nov. 2, 1971 c. J- BOYLE ETAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 II'I'IIIIIIII [VII/III)LIO 3 FIGZ INVENTORS CLIFFORD J'BOYLE RICHARD B. LANGER ATTORNEYS NOV.2, 1971 Q J, BOYLE ETAL 3,616,742

I POROUS ROLLER FILM TRANSPORT AND PROCESSING: SYSTEM Filed uarcnzs,1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l I 'mvsmons F|G.4 LII-FORD a. OYLE ICHARD a.ELANGER final, p" (142;

nromsys United States Patent 3,616,742 POROUS ROLLER FILM TRANSPORT ANDPROCESSING SYSTEM Clilford J. Boyle and Richard B. Belanger, Detroit,Mich.,

assignors of fractional part interest to DuWayne E.

Gilkey, Berkley, Mich.

Filed Mar. 25, 1969, Ser. No. 810,105 Int. Cl. G03d 3/00 US. Cl. 95-89 R4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A film transport and processingsystem which includes a tank containing a film developing fluid, a filmfixing solution or water and a housing overlying the tank incommunication therewith, a series of vertically spaced pairs of filmreceiving roller assemblies within the housing for passing a filmthrough the housing for application thereto of the processing fluid,together with a pump and manifold for continuously circulating the tankfluid to the roller assemblies, the roller assemblies including an innerperforated support tube mounted on the housing, a perforated powerrotated outer tube journalled upon the inner tube, and a resilientporous plastic film engaging roller mounted upon the outer tube.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Heretofore in the processing and developingof photographic films, various means have been employed on a commercialbasis of first treating the film with a developing solution; thereaftertreating with a fixing solution and thereafter with a rinsing solution.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the presentinvention to provide an improved film transport and processing system bywhich a light-sensitive material to be processed is projected into andthrough a series of aligned housings and wherein within each of the saidhousings there is provided a series of vertically spaced pairs ofrollers for receiving therebetween film to be processed within therespective housings and for feeding the film therethrough in acontinuous and automatic manner.

'It is another object to provide within each housing assembly a closedfluid circulating and pumping system by which the fluid delivered fromthe tank is directed to the roller assemblies and through saidassemblies, the said roller assemblies being constructed of a porouscharacter by which the fluid under pressure permeates the rollerassemblies and is projected radially outward for engaging the film uponits opposite sides for saturating the film and for treating the film ina continuous manner and with the excess fluid returning by gravity tothe tank for recirculation.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specificationand claims in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary schematic diagram of the present film transportand processing system.

FIG. 2 is a partly broken away view of a single housing tank assembly asan end elevational view of FIG. 1 on an increased scale.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view taken in the direction of arrows 3-3of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary partly sectioned and broken away elevation viewtaken in the direction of arrows 44 of FIG. 2.

The present film and transport and processing system designated at 11,FIG. 1, includes mounted upon a suitable support |12, fragmentarilyshown, a series of housings 3,616,742 Patented Nov. 2., 1971 13 through17 whose respective lengths are dependent upon required time of processstep. Housing 13 and its associated tank provides the initialcirculation of film developing fluids for application to a film directedlongitudinally through the said housings in a continuous line asdesignated at F, FIG. 1.

The respective housings 13 through 16 includes individual sets of poweroperated vertically spaced pairs of film engaging and feeding andtreating rollers as hereunder described in detail with respect to FIGS.2, 3 and 4.

Housing 14 includes a fixing chemical for circulation therein andhousing 15 includes water or other rinsing solution whereas theadditional tandem arranged housing 16 feeds the film past drying meansfor longitudinal projection into receiving bin 17. It is noted that thedrying assembly I16 includes sources of hot air under pressure directedto the film for drying the same before projection into bin 17.

The respective assemblies 13 through 17 are arranged in tandem so thatthe film F or other element to be treated projected through the inlet ofthe respective housing 13 such as shown at 4 8, FIG. 4, moveslongitudinally in a unit plane through the respective housings 13through 16 through corresponding outlets such as the outlet 49 shown inFIG. 4 for projection into bin 17.

Since the assemblies 13, 14 and 15 are exactly the same except for theuse of the particular chemical solution involved, and the number ofpairs of rollers, hence, the length, only the assembly 13 is describedin further detail.

Thus, the present film transport and processing system includes withrespect to the developing assembly 13 a closed tank 18, outlet 19adjacent its lower end and with a suitable inlet 45, FIG. 2, the levelof fluid being designated at 20 as being developing solution in the caseof the assembly 13, a fixing solution as in the case of assembly 14 anda rinsing solution as in the assembly 15.

Flexible conduit 21 connects outlet 19 to the inlet 22 of the poweroperated pump 23 shown schematically in FIG. 2.

The pump outlet 28 is connected by flexible conduit 29 -to the inlet 30of the elongated pump jacket 31.

Its base plate 32, FIG. 3, is peripherally joined and sealed and securedover side plate 3 3 of a housing assembly shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

Said housing includes the opposed upright side plates 33 and 34, coverplate 35, front plate 24 and rear plate 25.

The pump jacket 31 has a manifold chamber 36 for communicating thecirculating fluid through the respective film engaging and treatingroller assemblies hereafter described with respect to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

Provided within the housing assembly 13 are the series of verticallyspaced sets of roller assemblies of similar construction which are poweroperated.

Each roller assembly includes a transversely arranged elongated supporttube 37 which extends between and is supported upon the housing sideplates 33 and 34. The tube is transversely perforated throughout itslength with a series of small fluid conducting radial apertures 38, FIG.3.

The stationary support inner tube 37 is open at one end at 39 forcommunicating with manifold chamber 36', the other end of said tubebeing closed by the plug 40.

Elongated porous tube 41 is loosely journalled over tube 37 and it alsohas a series of transverse or radial apertures for the transmission ofcirculating fluid from the interior of the tube 37 outwardly of the tube41 for direction into and through the outer porous plastic resilientroller 42 of appreciable diameter.

The porous plastic roller 42 fixedly secured over the outer tube 41 isadapted for rotation therewith and adapted to receive the pumped fluidswhich are directed through the manifold 31 into the inner perforatedtube of the respective roller assemblies for transmission through thetubes and radially outward through the film engaging and treatingplastic rollers 42.

The housing assembly 13, FIG. 2, includes the tapered funnel-likecollector 42 which at its lower reduced end includes an outlet 43 whichcommunicates with the inlet 45 of the tank by the hollow threadedcoupling 44 which interconnects the housing assembly and said tank andprovides a means by which the housing is supported so as to ovelie thetank and with the funnel outlet 43 in registry with the inlet fitting 45forming an integral part of the tank 18.

The above construction of one of the rollers 42 FIG. 3, applies to allthe rollers arranged in the longitudinally disposed series such as shownschematically in FIG. 4, except for the dryer rollers at 16.

Upon the exterior of the respective outer tubes 41 is provided a meansfor power rotation of the respective roller assemblies. In theillustrative embodiment a sprocket gear 46 is secured to the outer tube41 and is adapted for driven engagement with respect to the sprocketchain 47 shown schematically in FIG. 4. Any other suitable drive may beemployed such as a pulley with belt arrangement or other equivalentmeans by which respective of the vertically arranged pairs of rollers 42are driven in opposite directions so as to feed the film F inwardly andthere along in a horizontal plane such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

The exterior surface of the respective plastic porous rollers 42 issufliciently mottled as to provide suitable frictional contact with thefilm for passing the film between the respective roller assemblies in ahorizontal path and for maintaining the films perfectly flat, which isachieved by closely spacing the respective sets of vertically arrangedrollers 42.

As shown in FIG. 4, the front wall 24 of the respective housing has ahorizontally elongated throated inlet means 48 adapted to receive thefilm which moves in the horizontal plane indicated in a continuousfashion so as to exit the housing through the horizontally elongatedthroated outlet 49. A similar construction is provided in the adjacenthousings 1-4, 15 and 16 by which the film moves in a horizontal pathfrom the respective housings and eventually into the drying housing 16having a series of hot air assemblies 26 after which the dried film isreceived within the bin 17 or suitable roll film take-up mechanism asshown schematically in FIG. 1.

OPERATION The present film transport and processing system thus consistsof a series of pairs of rollers 42 which are gear or belt driven to thusrotate at the same speed. Each roller is mounted upon a hollowstationary shaft or tube 37, each said shaft Opening into the manifoldchamber 36 of the jacket 31 which is provided with a single inlet 30 toreceive the particular fluid circulated.

The respective shafts 37 are drilled with numerous tiny randomly spacedapertures 38 sufficient for the adequate radial flow of circulated fluidoutwardly from the respective shafts, shafts 41 are similarly drilled.

The yielda-ble flexible plastic and porous rollers 42 are of a spongeplastic construction having open pores and .these are snugly locatedover elongated perforated tubes 41 whose inside diameters are slightlylarger than the outside diameter of the central support tube 37.

In operation, the power operated pump 23 fed from the tank 18 directsthe chemical solution to the jacket 31 which feeds the rollers centralshafts. The solution permeates through these shafts and the tubing ofthe rollers completely saturating them. In addition, the fluid provideslubrication for the surfaces between shafts 37 and 41 which thus providea suitable bearing surface for the rollers. Therefore, the outerperforated tubes 41 serve as roller bearings for the mounting of theplastic rollers.

As the film enters the housing through the inlet 48, FIG. 4, itencounters and moves between the oppositely moving first pair of rollers42 and due to their direction of rotation is propelled forward in astraight line as shown in F IG. 4.

As the film passes through the rollers it is continuously irrigated withfresh solution due to the continuous circulation of fluid from the tankthrough the rollers outwardly thereof and with excess fluid returningand collected within the storage tank.

The close spacing of the rollers maintains suflicient control of thefilm at all times to prevent curling.

At the end of the process such as developing, fixing and washing, thefilm moves into the dryer assembly 16 which is similar to the othermodules 13, 14 and 15 as to the film transporting means though no fluidsare applied. This assembly includes high pressure jets 26 of hot airwhich rapidly and evenly dries the film. It is then ejected into asuitable receiving bin 17 ready for final disposition.

Having described our invention, reference should now be had to thefollowing claims:

1. In combination with a transport and processing system forphotosensitive material, a closed tank mountable upon a support andcontaining an appropriate processing solution;

an outlet and an inlet on said tank;

a motor operated pump having a fluid inlet and outlet;

a housing overlying and mounted on said tank including front, rear, topand side walls and open at its bottom adapted for drain communicationwith said tank;

a series of vertically spaced pairs of roller assemblies in said housingadapted to movably receive therebetween a film to be processed, saidroller assemblies extending between said side walls;

each roller assembly including an elongated inner tube perforated alongits length and with one end closed and stationarily mounted in a housingside wall and with the other open end extending through the otherhousing side wall;

all of the inner tubes from the roller assemblies opening outwardly ofsaid other housing side wall;

an elongated chambered pump jacket sealed and secured over said otherhousing side wall enclosing the open ends of said inner tubes, andhaving a fluid inlet;

conduits respectively interconnecting said tank outlet and pump inlet,and pump outlet and jacket inlet;

each roller assembly including a rotatable perforated outer tubejournaled upon said stationary inner tube, and an elongated flexible,porous, plastic film feed roller of appreciable thickness snugly mountedover and joined to said rotatable outer tube;

and power means for rotating each of said outer tube and said plasticfilm feed roller of a pair of roller assemblies in opposite directions;

the fluid in the tank being pumped continuously into said jacket anddistributed through the stationary inner tubes of each roller assemblyfor radial passage outwardly through the outer tubes permeating andsaturating said plastic rollers and for lubricating the surfaces betweensaid stationary inner tubes and said rotatable outer tubes and forsupplying a uniform flow of fluid over all surfaces of the film as it isfrictionally passed between the sets of plastic rollers;

the excess fluid descending from said housing for communication with thetank inlet.

2. In the film transport and processing system of claim 5, theperforations in said stationary inner and rotatable outer tubes beingco-extensive with and radially inward of the interior bore of the porousplastic roller.

3. In the film transport and processing system of claim 5, said powermeans including driven means on said rotatable outer tubes axiallyoutwardly of said plastic rollers; and a drive means engaging saiddriven means.

5 4. In the film transport and processing system of claim 3,170,3822/1965 Schwab 95-89 5, said housing front and rear Walls havingrespectively a 3,366,025 1/1968 Layne 95-89 X horizontally elongatedthroated inlet and outlet means in 3,490,908 1/ 1970 Shelffo. registrywith a plane passsing between the respective upper and lower rollers,for receiving and delivering the film 5 FOREIGN PATENTS to be processed.Germany References Cited SA UEL E UNITED STATES PATENTS M rl T pmimyExammer 720,708 2/1903 Latta 95-89 Ssstant Examme 1,929.1s0 10/1933Teitel 95-89 UX

